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First Annual Puget Sound Stringed Instrument Exhibition Seattle, WA -- April 8, 2002 -- What goes into an instrument, before the music comes out? See for yourself (and for free!) at the Puget Sound Stringed Instrument Exhibition, October 19 and 20. The Seattle Luthiers, a community of stringed instrument builders, have chosen Renton Technical College as the site of its first exclusive exhibition. Twenty to thirty individuals from Washington and adjoining states and provinces will show hand-made guitars, harps, mandolins, fiddles and more exotic works. Space is available for small concerts and for visitors to play and listen to instruments themselves. In a sense all musical instruments are hand-made, but the focus of the exhibition is on the small shop, where the person who makes the design choices is the same person who spreads the glue. That definition includes professionals with decades of success in the business as well as amateurs who have built a few fine instruments. Some emphasize traditonal techniques while others are exploring the use of computers and newly-available materials; but all have the advantage of being able to satisfy their own expectations or their customer's, one instrument at a time. The exhibition will be open to visitors from noon to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 19 and noon to 5:00 on Sunday October 20. Renton Technical College is located at 3000 NE Fourth Street, Renton, WA 98056. Directions can be found at http://www.renton-tc.ctc.edu/visitors/location.htm Organization History: Since 1998, the Seattle Luthiers have been bringing together builders of stringed instruments, mostly from the Seattle area, but from as far away as Portland and Bellingham. The group meets on the second Tuesday of most months, either to discuss a technical subject or just to have dinner together and shoot the breeze. Although members have exhibited their works jointly at the Northwest Folklife Festival since 1999, the Puget Sound Stringed Instrument Exhibition is the group's first sponsored public event. More information about the group can be found on its web page, at http://seattleluthiers.org/ |